Ed. Note—The Athletes Table is back again! This time he brings us home from Kona with three smoothies to get you feeling right again after a tough weekend of racing (your editor, in particular, needs something like this at present).

Madam Pele might be the Hawaiian Goddess of fire & volcanos, but she also blessed the islands with some seriously sweet treasures too! If you're a football player, you’ve got the Super Bowl. If you’re a tennis player, you’ve got Wimbleton and if you’re a marathon runner, you’ve got the grand daddy of them all, the Boston Marathon. But, if you’re a triathlete in October and you’ve just landed on a small volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (and you’re also in a slight panic about the bike you brought with you still being in one piece) then there is a very high probability your final destination is the small town of Kailua Kona. And you've come for the IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!! Kona is the pinnacle of the triathlon season and is often referred to as the single hardest one day sporting event in the world. It’s the Super Bowl for some of the world’s greatest athletes who set out to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a marathon all the while battling it out against themselves, battling each other and the punishing heat, humidity and winds that Madam Pele can dish out. Madam Pele doesn't play games! As these amazing athletes race up and down the Big Island of Hawaii, they may not realize the surrounding bounty of culinary and nutritional treasures around them. Click Here!It’s a rugged landscape, but the Hawaiian islands grow a dazzling display of bananas, mangos, coconuts, pineapples, macadamia nuts and let’s not forget about KONA COFFEE!It’s like Madam Pele’s natural candy factory just begging to get blended into a post workout recovery smoothie.All the delicious natural fruit carbs…drool-worthy! The recovery smoothie is an essential requirement for the endurance athlete to get some quicks carbs and proteins post workout or after races. Nothing beats the smoothie's ability to quickly provide the body with everything it needs to get a jump start on the re-building process. Strength is gained from both proper training AND providing the bodies with the proper building blocks to recover. In the spirit of the Hawaiian islands and the IRONMAN World Championships, I blended up some Kona inspired recovery smoothies that incorporate the festive atmosphere and flavors of the Hawaiian Islands. Each recipe is simple and quick enough to create right in your own kitchen and all ingredients are readily available at any grocery store. LET'S GET BLENDING!

SUPER-NANA SMOOTHIE:

This SUPER-NANA smoothie hits all the right tropical notes and is blended into one delicious concoction. Full of frozen banana, mango & pineapple you’ll love blending up this beachy Hawaiian inspired smoothie.We added just a bit of coconut milk to make it a bit creamier, so you might just think that you're drinking a banana Pina Colada. It tastes a bit like a banana Laffy Taffy. Yummy! Add in a serving of your favorite vanilla protein powder and you're on the sweet road to recovery. We use Fieldwork Nutrition Primo Smoothie Meal. SUPER-NANA SMOOTHIE: 1 Frozen Banana, 1/2 Cup Mango, 1/2 Cup Pineapple, 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk, 1 Tbls Flaxseed, 1-2 Cups Almond Milk, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (Fieldwork Nutrition Primo Smoothie) TOPPING: Mashed Frozen Strawberry INSTRUCTIONS: Add all the Ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Adjust consistency as desired by adding additional almond milk.

THE MADAM PELE SMOOTHIE:

If you're looking to really zone in with the islands, there is no better way to show your respect than with The Madam Pele.She created such a lush green landscape that it would be disrespectful to not make a green smoothie. Combining elements from both the earth with mango, pineapple, toasted coconut, baby kale, baby spinach and the sea sea with the famous Hawaiian Spirulina, its a perfect combination. Add in your favorite vanilla protein powder and you will be on your way to rebounding for your next workout. THE MADAM PELE SMOOTHIE: 1 Cup Baby Spinach/Kale (packed), 1 Cup Mango, 1 Cup Pineapple, 1 tsp Hawaiian Spirulina, 1 Fresh Mint Leaf (Optional), 2 Tbls Unsweetened Coconut, 1 Madjool date, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (we used Fieldwork Nutrition Primo Smoothie) INSTRUCTIONS: Add all the Ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Adjust consistency as desired by adding additional almond milk.